In today's
typical U.S. automobile manufacturing plant, production components are
pulled off the assembly line at regular intervals and torn down for
inspection. Not only is this a time-consuming and costly procedure, it is
also only a statistical sampling and not an inspection of every component
that is manufactured. Researchers are developing new nondestructive
evaluative imaging techniques for the assembly line that will be able to
immediately spot component problems and flaws.

This
spring, the Hubble Space Telescope will observe nearby supernovae in the
act of exploding with the target stars to be supplied "on
demand" for the first time. Spectra from these nearby
supernovae will be used to calibrate measurements of the accelerating
expansion of the universe and to determine what effects their evolutionary
history may have on their use as "standard candles" to make
fundamental cosmological measurements.